Safety device for automobiles



F eB. 1 5, 1938. R. BEDDOW 2,103,303

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 15, 1938. R BEDDQW 2,108,303

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 25, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 15, 1938 SAFETY DEVICE FOR- AUTOMOBILES Raymond Beddow, Toledo, Ohio Application November 25, 1936, Serial No. 112,755

1 Claim.

This invention relates to safety devices for automobiles but more particularly to a device for preventing the occupants of the automobile from being thrown or catapulted from the seat in the event of a collision or a sudden stopping of the vehicle and an object is to produce a new and improved device of this character which can be abruptly moved into position of use in a simple and convenien 'anner when occasion demands but which isfnormally out of the wayof the occupants, so asflnot materially to interfere with the vision nor theoperation of the car.

An embodiment of the invention is shown 'by way of illustration on the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of a portion of an automobile body showing the safety belt device for the front and rear seats thereof;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of one of the mountings for the belt for the rear seat, showing it in position of use;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section showing the mounting for one end of the belt for the front seat in position occupied when in inoperative position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is an elevation partly in section of the guide and operating mechanism for the belt for the front seat;

Fig. 8 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 7 showing particularly the trip mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 oi. Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a detailed sectional view showing the mounting of the belt for the front seat in inoperative position, and v Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the control mechanism by which both the front and rear belts can be released.

' .The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an automobile body l0 having a front seat II and a rear seat l2, a windshield l3 and front and rear doors I l and I5 respectively. A flexible belt I6 is provided for the front seat and 5 a flexible belt I! is provided for the rear seat. As will hereinafter appear, a single meansis provided for releasing both belts l6 and I1 so that in the event of a collision or sudden stopping of the car, both belts can be abruptly snapped into position of use directly in front of the respective seats so that the occupants thereof will not be thrown therefrom. The advantage of this device will be apparent in that many accidents of a serious nature are caused by persons being thrown from their seats either against the windshield or against other parts of the vehicle. By holding the occupants to their seats at the time of an accident, many injuries which otherwise would be caused would be eliminated.

The belt I! for the rear seat I2 is connected at each end to a mounting l8 which has a hook portion IS. A cable 20 is connected to one portion of the mounting I8 and passes upwardly over a sheave 2|, thence downwardly through a guide loop 22 to a sheave 23 which is secured to the floor 24 of the vehicle and thence forwardly to a ring 25. It will be understood that the cable 20 is provided on opposite sides of the vehicle but a description of the mechanism on one side is deemed sufiicient.

In opposed relation to the point where the cable 2|! is connected to the mounting I8 is a coil spring 26 which extends also through the guide loop 22 and is anchored at its lower end to the floor 24 of the body. Normally, the belt is held in its raised position but when the cable 21] is released it causes a spring 26 to abruptly move the belt downwardly until the hook I!) hooks over the guide loop 22, a leaf spring 21 retaining the hooked portion in position. It will be observed that the loop portion 22 is secured to a side of the vehicle and extends outwardly therefrom.

The rings 25 which are connected to the forward end of the cable 20 engage pins 28 which are fixed to and extend outwardly from a rod 29. By rocking the'rod 29 sufllciently, it will be apparent that the rings 25 are released.

The belt l6 for the front seat II is secured at each end to a metal cylinder 3|!v which has an annular groove 3| into which resilient fingers 32 on a tube 33 are adapted to fit. The tube 33 is secured to the upper portion of the body frame above the seat H. In the bottom end portion of the cylinder 30 is a slot 34 which extends in a direction transversely of the vehicle body to receive a similarly shaped head 35 which is secured to a rod 36 which is movable vertically and is mounted on a vertically disposed elongate tube 31 which is secured to the adjacent front door I. On the inner side of the tube 31 is a slot 38 which extends approximately one-half the length of the tube and is adapted to accommodate the belt It so that the belt can move upwardly or downwardly of the tube along with the cylinder 30 and rod 36. It will be understood that when the door I4- is opened, the cylinder is operated from the rod 38 because of the slot 34 through which the head 35 of the rod 38 can move upon opening or closing movements of the door.

. Secured to thelower end of the. rod 36 is a. coilspring '39, the lower end of which is anchored to the lower end of the tube 31. Secured to the lower end of the rod 36 is an endless cable 40 which is trained about vertically spaced sheaves 4| and 42 and which is in its lowermost position when the belt I6 is raised to inoperative position, at which time the spring 39 isv placed under tension. When the hook is in this position, it is engageable with a pin 43. The hook 42 is substantially L-shaped and the end portion is engageable by the upturned end 44 of a rod 45 which is guided in suitable brackets 46. A hook 4'! on the opposite end of the rod is engageable with a double hook member 48. A coil spring 48 normally urges the rod 45 toward the hook 42 to move it from the pin 43. It is to be understood that a similar device is mounted on each of the front doors of the body but description of one is deemed suflicient.

As above mentioned, both belts i6 and I! are simultaneously released and for this purpose, a foot button or pedal 49 extends through the floor 24. Connected with the lower end of the pedal is an elongate loop member 50 through which a rod 51 extends. On the rod 5i is a stop 52 which normally engages the side of the loop member 50. By depressing the pedal 48, longitudinal movement of the rod 5| is permitted. A coil spring 52 connected at one end to the rod 5| and at the other end to a stationary bracket 53, imparts movement to the rod. To the rod 5| is connected the double hook member 48, and it will be seen by such movement, that hooks 41 are released so that the upturned end 44 of the rod 45 engages the hook 42 and moves the latter away from thepin 43. Thereupon, the spring 39 is released so that the belt i6 can be snapped abruptly downwardly into position of use. At the same time, the belt i 8 is released, the belt I! is also released, since one end of the rod 5| is normally disposed a ainst an arm 54 which is fixed to the rod 28. Obviously, by moving the rod 5| away from the arm 54, the rod 28 can be turned to release the rings 25 from the pins 28. As above described, this operates to release the rear belt 11.

It will be understood that the parts can be returned to their normal position and to assist in so doing, a finger 55 is fixed to the rod 5| and extends upwardly through a slot 58 in the fioor 24 of the vehicle. By engaging the rings 25 of the pins 28 moving the rod H to the left of Fig. 11 and then moving the hooks 41 into engagement with the double hock member 48 and hooking the hooks 42 over the pins 43, it will be seen that the parts will again be in position to be tripped.

It is to be understood that changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation may be effected without departing from the spirit of the invention especially as defined in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A safety device for automobiles comprising,

- in combination with a closed body having a front seat, windshield and side doors, a. safety belt adapted to be disposed when in use in position between the windshield and seat, spring means carried by each door for urging said belt to position of use, means providing a separable connection between said spring means and belt enabling separation of these parts upon opening of the door, a catch controlling said spring means, and means for releasing said catch to render said spring means operative.

RAYIWOND BEDDOW. 

